Death Note

Play trailer

2:07

Death Note

TV-MA

2017

1h 41m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

36%

Tomatometer

77 Reviews

23%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A high school student discovers a supernatural notebook that has deadly powers. He can kill anyone he wishes simply by inscribing their name within its pages. Intoxicated with his new power, he begins to eliminate those he deems unworthy of life.

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Death Note benefits from director Adam Wingard's distinctive eye and a talented cast, but they aren't enough to overcome a fatally overcrowded canvas.

Read Critics Reviews

Alison Willmore

BuzzFeed News

08/31/2017

Netflix's Death Note fails Asian-Americans in the more mundane way that most Hollywood releases continue to .

Go to Full Review

Elena Lazic

Little White Lies

08/29/2017

1/5

A project that feels both overdetermined and underdeveloped.

Go to Full Review

Clio Chang

The New Republic

08/28/2017

Director Adam Wingard has robbed Death Note of its identity, messing up nearly everything that made the original series so compelling.

Go to Full Review

Jamie Healy

Radio Times

05/02/2024

3/5

Strikes the right balance between the grim, the grisly and the fun.

Go to Full Review

Ernesto Zelaya Miñano

ScreenAnarchy

02/03/2023

This is probably the result of trying to cram an entire series in under two hours, which leads to a climax as convoluted as the Note’s seemingly endless rules.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

03/17/2022

1.5/4

Wingard's lack of control over the material seems unlike his work, and yet the uneven result speaks for itself.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Michael N.

@Dmvmic Dec 6

I think this might be the worst movie I have ever watched Horrible acting , Horrible casting , Horrible plot I really regret giving this movie time out my life

See more

panosk 2

Dec 2

why cant I rate it 0 stars

See more

Zachary K

@ZacharyKing Nov 22

Margaret Qualley, LaKeith Stanfield, and Willem Dafoe, all read this script and thought the world deserved this unleashed upon them. I laughed about 30 times watching this, and its not at all trying to be a comedy, so for that 4/10.

See more

KJ B.

@KarsonCritic Nov 16

The Netflix Death Note movie isn’t perfect, but honestly, it surprised me. The style, the pacing, and the darker vibe kept me hooked, and Willem Dafoe as Ryuk absolutely carried in the best way. It’s different from the anime, but if you watch it with an open mind, it’s a fun, intense ride. I’d give it a solid 4.5 stars.

See more

Sir_manface M

Nov 13

Words can't describe just how terrible of an adaptation this is. One of the worst movies I've personally ever seen, its insane how much of Death Note is completely butchered by this movie.

See more

Sebastian D

Nov 9

A Butchered Death Note Adaptation. Death Note is a botched adaptation that butchers the manga's genius with a dumbed-down script and laughable effects, turning a cerebral thriller into a vapid teen flick that insults its source. Nat Wolff’s Light is a whiny caricature, stripped of the original's cunning intellect, and Margaret Qualley’s Mia is a flat romantic foil that neuters the dynamic. Willem Dafoe’s Ryuk cackles without menace, and the 2017 CGI scribbles look amateurish, the notebook a gimmick without stakes. What should have been a tense game of wits devolves into predictable kills and forced drama, the localization a cringe-worthy mess that wastes the premise's philosophical core on shallow scares and no tension. It’s a forgettable failure that mocks fans with its lazy execution, a soulless shell of the manga's brilliance.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Adam Wingard

Director

Nat Wolff

Light Turner

Margaret Qualley

Mia Sutton

LaKeith Stanfield

L

Willem Dafoe

Ryuk

Paul Nakauchi

Watari

Death Note: Movie Clip - Light Meets Ryuk

2:35

View more videos

Incarnate

18%

24%

Incarnate

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Incarnate

They Remain

61%

28%

They Remain

Watchlist

Wish Upon

20%

31%

Wish Upon

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Wish Upon

Dead Awake

11%

16%

Dead Awake

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Dead Awake

Ghost Stories

85%

59%

Ghost Stories

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Ghost Stories

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Tick Season 1, The Handmaiden, and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime

Adam Wingard’s Five Favorite Films

2017 Spring/Summer TV Premiere Dates

Death Note: Viral Video - Introducing the Death Note

1:27

Death Note: Featurette - Ryuk

1:48

Death Note: Featurette - Filmmaker

1:52

Death Note: Trailer 1

2:07

Death Note: Teaser Trailer 1

0:54

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

A high school student discovers a supernatural notebook that has deadly powers. He can kill anyone he wishes simply by inscribing their name within its pages. Intoxicated with his new power, he begins to eliminate those he deems unworthy of life.

Director: Adam Wingard
Producer: Jason Hoffs, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Masi Oka
Screenwriter: Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides, Jeremy Slater
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 25, 2017
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos

Most Popular at Home Now